The present disclosure relates generally to high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) systems, and more particularly, to HFCWO systems for use with an inflatable garment.
Manual percussion techniques of chest physiotherapy have been used for a variety of diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema, asthma and chronic bronchitis, to remove excess mucus that collects in the lungs. To bypass dependency on a caregiver to provide this therapy, chest wall oscillation devices have been developed to deliver HFCWO therapy to a patient. An illustrative HFCWO system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,115,104 (“the '104 patent”), which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. In the system disclosed in the '104 patent, an air pulse generator produces high frequency air pulses which are applied to an inflatable garment positioned about a patient's torso. The term “air” as used in the specification and claims is used broadly to include regular air, medical air, nitrogen, oxygen, and any other breathable, as well as non-breathable, gas available in a hospital or healthcare facility.